Those who know, who understand the most important position at the most successful men’s basketball program in recent NCAA history, return to the same phrases. Leader … tough … versatile … resilient … floor general … heart … competitive. They tend to fall back on cliches because what they’re trying to explain is obvious and difficult to describe beyond the obvious part. They’re trying to explain what it means to play guard at Villanova, perhaps the single position that’s most synonymous with the ethos of a modern college basketball power, a job title that doubles as a window into a program’s soul.
Think Villanova men’s basketball and, chances are, “guards” comes next. Think national championships won by Villanova and many pivotal players shared the same position. In 2016: Josh Hart, Ryan Arcidiacono, Jalen Brunson. In 2018: Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Phil Booth.
These weren’t the first guards to lift Villanova toward the pinnacle of shining moments. But they were the ones who elevated the Wildcats to bluest-blood status in recent years. The ones who, says former player and assistant coach Baker Dunleavy (now the head coach at Quinnipiac), “have the same personality, the same demeanor; they’re stoic, in a way, and ready to rip your heart out.”
